


Step a Little Closer

by jeweldancer



Series: Cas and Dean [6]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alcohol, Castiel and Charlie get really drunk but Dean makes sure everyone gets home safe, Castiel gets embarrassed about how he acted when drunk, Castiel throws himself at Dean but Dean refuses because Cas is too drunk, Fluff, Heavy Drinking, M/M, Social Anxiety, fear of crowded places, sexual anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-13
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-20 16:13:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4793999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeweldancer/pseuds/jeweldancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Charlie's birthday, and Dean wants Cas to join him for the festivities. Castiel is really anxious about meeting Dean's friends, but after Charlie convinces him to have a few drinks, he really lets loose. Dean makes sure he gets home okay and takes care of him. Lots of fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Step a Little Closer

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, guys, I've been working so much lately that this has taken me ages to write. Since it's taken so long and I've mostly been working on it while half asleep, this thing may be completely crazy. I hope some of you like it anyway. If you do, let me know!

Cas's favorite way to wake up was to a text from Dean. Waking up with Dean beside him would have been even better, but a text was good. It meant Dean was thinking about him.

_Morning, angel. You sleep okay?_

_Not bad. Missed you, though._

Cas hesitated for a split second before pressing send. Surely it wasn't too clingy to say he missed Dean? Dean had called him angel, after all.

_I missed you more._

Oh, shit. Castiel's heart started pounding so hard that he could hear the blood rushing in his ears.

_Not possible, Dean._

_Oh yes it is. You have the most beautiful sleepy blue eyes first thing in the morning._

Cas nearly dropped the phone. Damn. He was going to take a screen shot of that last message and save it forever. What was he going to say back? His mind had gone blank.

_I'm sorry, Cas. You're blushing right now, aren't you?_

Cas decided to go with complete honesty.

_It's hard to tell. My knees have gone weak._

_Just don't fall, angel. Listen, do you have plans Saturday night?_

Whatever you want me to do, Dean, Cas thought. No. He couldn't say that.

_I don't, actually. What did you have in mind?_

_It's Charlie's birthday this weekend, and she wants to go out. You know, dancing, drinking, carousing, the whole nine. I'd love it if you'd come with me._

_I don't know. I don't even know how to carouse. And I definitely can't dance. You'd probably have more fun by yourself._

_Please, Cas? I want you to meet my friends._

_Are you sure? What if they don't like me?_

_They'll love you. They won't be able to help themselves. Like me._

Cas melted a little.

_Okay. If you're sure..._

_Thanks, Cas. I love you, babe._

_I love you more._

On Saturday evening, Castiel was so nervous that he had difficulty getting ready. His hands shook, and he dropped everything he picked up. He got in the car and sat behind the wheel for a few minutes, taking deep breaths. Dean had been working that afternoon; there had been an important project that had to be finished, so he was going to meet Cas at the club.

Cas pulled into the parking lot outside Hannah's a little later than he would've liked. He had hoped to be able to walk in with Dean, but he was already inside now. Castiel didn't even know how he should act around Dean tonight. Had he told his friends that they were dating, or should Cas act like they were just friends?

He texted Dean to let him know he'd arrived, then took a deep breath and walked into the club. All the sensations that made Castiel avoid places like Hannah's hit him at once. The overwhelming noise, the stale-smelling air, the terror of so many people packed into so small a space.

Dean had texted back that he and Charlie were sitting at the bar, so Cas began working his way in the that direction. He spotted Dean sitting next to a pretty, red-haired girl. As if he could feel Cas's eyes on him, Dean looked up and met his gaze. When he saw Cas, Dean's face lit up, and he was immediately off the barstool and making his way toward him. He grabbed Cas's hand and guided him back through the crowd. When they had safely reached the other side, Dean leaned over and kissed Castiel. He whispered, "You look great, Cas. I'm glad you're here," and settled Cas on his recently vacated barstool.

"Charlie, this is Cas. Castiel, Charlie Bradbury. We've known each other for practically forever." Cas tried to smile and nod as Dean introduced some other people, but he was reeling. Dean had held his hand and kissed him in front of his friends. Cas had known that Dean wasn't ashamed of him, but doing that sent a very clear message that they were together. Sam and Jess were there, too, and Cas felt relieved that not everyone there was a stranger. Sam patted him on the shoulder, and Jess kissed his cheek.

Everyone seemed welcoming; they all greeted Cas and shook his hand. Charlie, however, pulled Cas into a bear hug. "I've really been looking forward to meeting the guy who has Dean in such a state," she told him with a smile.

Cas blushed. "Happy birthday, Charlie. Thank you for the invitation."

"No problem. You seem to have made Dean happier than I've seen him in years."

Charlie quickly decided that Castiel needed a drink, and flagged down the bartender. Cas stared at his drink uncertainly, swirling it around in the glass. Dean leaned in to whisper in Cas's ear. "You don't have to drink anything if you don't want to. Nobody will judge. Charlie's just a little exuberant tonight, is all."

"I...I'd like to. I haven't in a long time, because I'm usually by myself and..."

Dean understood at once. "Then go ahead. I wasn't planning on drinking tonight because I figured Charlie would need a ride home. So don't worry, I'll be around to watch out for you."

Castiel ended up having a wonderful time. Charlie was keeping him supplied with drinks, and the alcohol erased his shyness. He chatted easily with all of Dean's friends, and even talked to a couple of them about his art. By the wee hours of the morning, Cas was good and thoroughly drunk. Dean watched Charlie and Cas run around the now nearly empty dance floor, arms extended like airplanes.

"Boy, he's gonna feel that in the morning," Sam commented, patting Dean on the shoulder. "Didn't he drive here? How's he gonna get home?"

"I'm taking him," Dean replied, and dug around in his pocket for the keys to the Impala. "Here ya go, Sam. You drive Baby home, and I'll drive Cas's car. And make sure Charlie gets home safe. In fact, you and Jess just take her home with you, and she can sleep in my bed."

Sam's eyes widened. He'd driven Baby before, of course, but very rarely. To have Dean offer him the keys and suggest he drive her home at 2 AM, with not a whit of concern in his voice, was beyond imagining. Dean entered the dance floor to collect Cas and say goodbye to Charlie. After convincing Charlie that riding home with Sam and Jess was the right thing to do and would be no trouble at all, he slid an arm around Cas's shoulders and headed for the exit.

As he walked away, Charlie's too-loud drunk voice cut through the noise. "He's letting you drive Baby so that he can take Cas home? Man, he's a lot farther gone than I thought!"

Cas attempted to waltz down the sidewalk with Dean. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this happy. "Whoa, whoa, calm down, buddy. Let's get you to the car. Where'd you park?"

"Next to that alley that looks like a place you'd get mugged."

"Okay. Glad I'm taking you home, then." Dean unlocked the passenger door and lowered Cas into the seat. Cas wouldn't stop singing a Katy Perry song, and Dean thought his ears might start bleeding.

"Hey, Cas. How about some music?" Cas handed his phone to Dean.

"You'll have to do it. I think my eyes have gone crossed."

Dean scrolled through Cas's music and snorted. "Cas? You have a playlist named 'Dean'."

"Ooh, no. Don't ask me about that."

"Well, I gotta ask now. Explain."

If Cas had been sober, he probably would have thrown himself out of the car and made a run for it out of sheer embarrassment. Tonight he just found the whole situation hilarious. "Ya know how on movies, when people are sitting around...doing stuff, and they put on sexy romantic music? Well, I wanted to make sure I had some, just in case."

"Well, now I gotta hear it." Dean started the playlist, and a Sam Smith song filled the car. Cas was looking nervous, so Dean smiled at him reassuringly. "It's cool, Cas. I like it."

The soothing music and the hum of the engine were making Cas sleepy. His eyes grew heavy, and his head nodded. Dean reached over and patted him. "Cas. Lean your seat back and close your eyes. I'll wake you when we get home."

Cas slept comfortably all the way back to his apartment. Dean shut off the engine and watched him for a minute. He wished he could carry Cas to bed, so he wouldn't have to wake him. "Hey, babe. You're home. Can you walk?"

"Yep. Should be fine." Cas staggered a little as he got out of the car, and Dean put an arm around his shoulders to steady him.

"I gotcha. It's okay."

Cas leaned on Dean in the elevator. "Are you gonna leave? I don't want you to go."

"Are you kidding? I'd never leave you like this. What if you got sick or something?"

Cas closed his eyes and swayed. "That's good. I might need you." He handed Dean his apartment key, and held onto him as they made their way to Cas's bedroom.

Dean gently eased Castiel down on the edge of the bed. He knelt and removed Cas's shoes, then went to work on his clothes. This made Cas giggle helplessly. "You're taking my clothes off."

"Um, yeah, I am. You don't want to sleep in jeans and a shirt that smells like cigarette smoke, do you?"

"Hmmm. You gotta point there, Dean-O."

Dean dug around in Cas's closet until he found a comfy-looking t-shirt, then slid over Cas's head. "Cas, buddy. You gotta help me out here. Put your arms through the sleeves."

"Sleeves are so overrated. They're just...just...holes with tubes on them."

"Well. Do it to make me happy, okay?"

"Ooo-kay."

Dean kicked off his own shoes, then walked toward the bedroom door. "Where ya goin, Dean?"

"Be right back." Dean returned with a glass of water and some aspirin. "Cas, babe, will you take these and drink some water for me?"

Cas smiled at him and reached for the water. Why wouldn't he do what Dean asked? He was so nice. And cute. Damn, he was cute.

"All right, kid. I'm gonna put you to bed now, okay? Just lie back for me." Dean arranged pillows under Cas's head and covered him with the blanket. "Do you want me to sleep on the couch and leave your bedroom door open, so you can call if you need me?"

"Noooo. No. Why would I want that? You are very warm and I want to cuddle with you."

"Fair enough." Dean was smiling at him. "Do you have a shirt I can borrow?"

"Any one you want. Or not. You can not wear a shirt if you want."

"Umm, I think I'll wear one of yours." Cas was smaller than Dean, so the t-shirt Dean put on was slightly tight on him.

"Shit, Dean. How'm I sposed to sleep with you looking like that?"

"Hush, or I won't snuggle with you."

Cas made a zipping motion across his lips, and as soon as Dean lay down, he scooted across the bed into his arms. "Nice. Feels good. You're nice."

"Thanks, Cas. You're nice too."

"You're really cute too. You're really hot. I want to do things with you."

"Thanks, Cas. We will another night."

"How about now? I want to. I'll do anything you want."

"Shh, baby. Not tonight. You need to sleep now." Dean started running his fingers through Cas's hair to soothe him.

"But whyyy? I want you, Dean."

"I want you too, Cas. But you're way too drunk to consent to anything right now. I'd be taking advantage of you, and I won't do that. I'll hold you and kiss you, but nothing else tonight."

"Oh." Cas considered this. "You must really like me then."

"I do. I love you very much." Dean kissed softly along Cas's temple.

Cas was feeling an odd squeezing sensation in his chest. He couldn't identify it, but he thought it felt good, not bad. He couldn't think about it for too long, because when he looked at the ceiling, it seemed to be a very long way up. Plus it was spinning a little.

"Ceiling needs to stay still. Never done that before. Gotta get that fixed."

"Shh. Just close your eyes and hang on to me, okay? I'll take care of you, beautiful."

Cas decided to do as Dean said. Dean seemed to know what he was doing. He could trust Dean. That was new to him, trusting. But it wasn't so hard with Dean. He grabbed ahold of Dean's shirt with both hands, and Dean held him close, rubbing his back gently. Cas sighed with contentment. Then Dean did something that Cas would never have expected, even in his current compromised state. Dean started singing to him, very softly, one of the songs that had played in the car.

_Still a little bit of your face I haven't kissed_

_You step a little closer each day_

_That I can't say what's going on..._

Cas lay very still, afraid that Dean would stop if he moved. His voice--well, Cas had finally found a flaw in Dean, because his singing was woefully off-key. But Cas didn't care in the least, because his voice was deep enough that Cas could feel the vibrations in his chest. Dean was singing to him and it was the best thing he'd ever heard.

_Still a little bit of your song in my ear_

_Still a little bit of your words I long to hear_

_You step a little closer to me_

_So close that I can't see what's going on..._

Dean hadn't even made it all the way through the song before Cas was sleeping. His mouth was open a little, and he made a whistling noise as he breathed. Dean didn't mind. He kissed Cas a few more times for good measure, and then settled in to hold him for a while. Cas's body was so warm and pliant that Dean knew he'd have to extricate himself in a few minutes to go into the bathroom and take care of himself. He'd hold out as long as he could, though.

Eventually he eased himself out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom down the hall so he wouldn't wake Cas. He found some shampoo and shower gel in the cabinet and started the shower. The warm water felt heavenly as he washed off the scent of sweat and cigarette smoke. He thought of Cas's toned body as he touched himself. He hoped the running water would cover up any sounds he made, but Cas was pretty well passed out anyway.

He toweled off and put on Cas's shirt again. It had been a clean shirt, straight out of the closet, so it didn't smell like Cas, which Dean regretted. The only solution was to nestle back in bed beside him. Dean's heart skipped a beat at the thought.

When Cas woke in the late morning, he felt like he'd been hit by a truck. He opened his reddened eyes to see Dean lying next to him, one hand resting on Cas's shoulder, the other holding a book. Dean felt him stirring and immediately turned his attention to Cas.

"Morning, babe. How do you feel?"

Cas groaned weakly.

"That's what I figured. If you think you can eat, I'm going to make breakfast. It'll help."

Cas drug himself out of bed to shower. As the water roused him a little, bits and pieces of the previous night started coming back to him. By the time he was finished with his shower, Cas was horribly embarrassed.

Dean entered the bedroom whistling, bearing a tray with toast, eggs, and bacon. "Just eat whatever you can, okay? It won't hurt my feelings any if you can't eat much."

"Dean!" Cas blurted out. "I think I made a complete ass of myself last night!"

"Oh, Cas. It wasn't like that. You had a good time."

"But your friends...they'll think I'm weird..."

Dean placed the tray on the bed and took Cas's hand. "Listen, Cas. You didn't do anything weird. You just let loose a little. Everyone thought you were charming. And Charlie loved you. In fact, you've probably taken over my role as her best friend. Don't worry about anything."

Cas smiled a little, then remembered the drive home. The "Dean" playlist. Drunkenly asking Dean if he wanted to "do stuff". Oh God, the humiliation. He sank down on the bed, head in his hands.

Dean sat next to him and pulled him close. "Don't even do that, Cas. You were awesome last night, just like you always are. Do you think me seeing you drunk would make me love you any less?"

Cas felt a flood of gratitude for Dean. He sat there and let Dean hold him for a minute, until Dean said that his breakfast was getting cold and he needed to eat something. Cas leaned back on the pillows with the tray on his lap. The food smelled delicious, but Cas's hands seemed to be having a little trouble with the fork, and his head still felt dizzy.

Dean was having no such problems, and he put away an impressive amount of bacon and eggs. He stacked up the dishes and took them to the kitchen, then immediately returned. "I'll wash everything up later, okay? I think we should just spend the rest of the morning in bed."

"God, I love you." It slipped out before Cas could help himself.

"I love you too, angel." Dean slid back into bed and cradled Cas. "Are you comfortable? Do you need anything?"

"Just you," Cas mumbled into Dean's shirt, before he drifted to sleep again. When he woke in the early afternoon, Dean handed him his phone with a smile so he could see Charlie's text.

_I think I may have been hit by a truck. How's my new bff?_

 

 

(The song lyrics are from Cannonball, by Damien Rice.)

 


End file.
